Building a custom PC, whether it’s for gaming, content creation, or straightforward media consumption, needs an appropriate CPU cooler. The more demand put on your processor from running multiple apps and crunching complex instructions, the hotter it gets.
However, it’s not as simple as picking up the cheapest cooler and calling it a day. There are different methods for handling thermals, whether you go with traditional air-cooled towers with heatsink fins or venture into slightly fancier liquid-cooled territory.
I’ve built my fair share of desktop PCs from the ground up, and besides the bench full of essential tools and accessories needed to get the job done, I’ve tested both types of coolers and seen the pros and cons of each. With the help of my colleagues, I’m here to name the best of each category to help you decide.
So, while the $299.99 Corsair H150i Elite LCD XT is my pick for the best all-in-one (AIO) CPU cooler, it’s a chunky behemoth with a 360mm radiator that you don’t necessarily need; it just ticks more boxes than anything else and deserves its place.
Consider your processor brand, motherboard socket, and PC case size before diving into my choices, and you’ll be well on your way to finding the best CPU cooler for your next custom desktop.
The quick list
Are you in a rush to build your PC? Here’s a straight-to-the-point quick list with all my picks for the best CPU cooler in each category, with a few budget-friendly options.
Best air cooler
The iconic cream and chocolate colors help Noctua’s NH-D15 stand out from the crowd, and its phenomenal air-cooled performance stands up to power-hungry CPUs.
4. Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
5. Arctic Liquid Freezer II 240
Best budget AIO
An iconic second-generation revision, the Liquid Freezer II 240 still carries the legacy of affordable AIO performance in this budget-friendly pick with a 240mm radiator.
The best CPU cooler to buy in 2024
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Breaking down the specifications and benefits for each of my picks, this is where you’ll get the details on compatibility for your custom build.
Best AIO liquid CPU cooler
I’ve used several variants of Corsair’s AIO coolers over the years, and each has served me well. Harish Jonnalagadda, Senior Editor at Android Central, has full reign to express his love for custom-built PCs and expressed his admiration for the H150i Elite LCD XT in his review. In line with my expectations, it’s still just as simple to install as any other from the same brand and comes with practically every luxury you could ask for, including a gorgeous yet subtle 2.1-inch IPS LCD screen.
I still believe that Corsair’s iCUE companion app is one of the better options if you’re comfortable with having third-party software permanently open in the background. It’s where you’ll control the personalized display for CPU block alongside custom fan curves and RGB lighting, so it helps that it’s not a disastrous RAM hog. It’s available in black, too, if that’s a better fit for your build, but I can’t deny my desire for all-white aesthetic builds, and the H150i Elite LCD XT looks fantastic in an appropriately sized case.
However, an unavoidable downside is the cost. Its $299.99 MSRP stings, but I’ve seen it drop as low as $221.99 at Amazon US. Corsair sells the AIO through various third-party retail alternatives, so it’s a case of looking for the best deal at the right time. Nevertheless, if you want a catch-all solution for CPU cooling, this phenomenal (if expensive) option from Corsair ticks all the boxes and comes with a generous 5-year warranty for peace of mind.
Read our in-depth Corsair H150i Elite LCD XT review
Best CPU air cooler
Noctua is iconic to those actively participating in custom PC building, and the creamy chocolate aesthetics are unmistakable. It’s not all about looks, though, as the NH-D15 is one of several world-class air coolers from the brand compatible with a wide range of Intel and AMD desktop CPUs. One of the only real downsides to choosing a traditional air cooler like this is the sheer size of the towering heatsink of metallic fins inside your PC case.
You’ll need to check for clearance against other components like RAM and motherboard VRM heatsinks, as some can become harder to reach and navigate once the NH-D15 installation is complete. However, once configured with your preferred airflow, it’ll handle a wide range of processor and socket combos and look great through a transparent side panel. Then again, if you’d prefer a more subtle look, the NH-D15 chromax.Black is exactly as the name suggests, dropping the brown color theme for an all-black alternative.
Best aesthetic CPU cooler
Undoubtedly the most extravagent CPU cooler I’ve ever tested, the THICC Q60 carries that name for a reason: it’s extra chunky. HYTE, best known for its “fish tank” PC cases like the similarly extreme Y70 Touch, enters the AIO scene with more fanfare than perhaps necessary but manages to pull it off. Despite the almost 280mm radiator size, the Q60 handles rising temperatures about as well as competing 360mm rivals from other brands and looks phenomenal while doing it.
That’s not to say it’s perfect for everyone. On the contrary, the THICC Q60 AIO has a somewhat limited appeal because it needs so much space inside a PC case. Then again, HYTE never hides this fact in its marketing. It leans heavily into the showcase scene by allowing builders to highlight the most outrageous desktop they can build and top it off with animated imagery on its 5-inch display powered by a dedicated ARM processor.
In my Q60 review, it proved to be far more than an aesthetic piece with no substance, as it handled testing with an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D gaming processor without issue. HYTE’s Nexus companion app improves with each software update, helping users quickly manage cooling profiles and create custom fan curves that can later be saved to internal storage. The MSRP is high, but anyone looking for something as ludicrious as the THICC Q60 is likely willing to front the cash, and the price is mostly justified.
Read our in-depth HYTE THICC Q60 review
Best budget CPU air cooler
Thermalright earns its place on this list as the Peerless Assassin 120 SE sits inside my gaming desktop. I couldn’t be happier with this ultra-affordable air cooler. It’s almost unfair how well it performs, considering how cheap it is, barely above $30 for most of its shelf life. It’s a new addition and will undergo extensive testing for a dedicated review further down the line. Still, during my initial trial-by-fire speedrun of benchmarks, it hasn’t faultered and was generally straightforward to install.
It includes mounting brackets for Intel and AMD processors, with the appropriate standoffs for each. AM4 risers pair with a stock backplate on my motherboard to fit a compatible AM5 socket, and the whole thing barely took fifteen minutes to complete once I’d connected the Y-splitter to its headers and clipped on the dual fans. It’s here to appeal to anyone on a strict budget, but honestly, the Peerless Assassin would happily take pride of place in any mid-to-high-end custom build. It’s just that good.
Best budget AIO liquid CPU cooler
Despite its compact radiator, the Liquid Freezer II 240 can handle high-end gaming processors with a huge power draw that tend to run on the hotter side without breaking the bank or wasting the wallet. Admittedly, the CPU cooler block isn’t much of a looker, and the bizarre UFO-styled pump lacks the same kind of appeal as the RGB-laden alternative, but does that really matter? If you’re building a PC to prioritize function over aesthetics, Arctic still stands as the ultimate budget-friendly AIO option.
It’s compatible with a huge range of Intel and AMD processors and comes in various sizes with radiators ranging from 120 to 420mm (seriously.) Still, the 240 is plenty if you’re on a budget, and it even suits a mid-range build if you’re not interested in extravagant rainbow lighting or you’re passing on a transparent PC case side panel entirely. The ugly VRM fan on the CPU block at least serves a purpose, helping to further dissipate heat from your processor, so this is the perfect example of function over form.
Best AIO CPU cooler for gaming
NZXT Kraken AIO coolers come in a few variants that all look incredibly similar, but the subtle differences substantially affect the price. For gamers leaning on high-performance processors and a taste for multi-colored lighting, the Kraken 360 RGB is practically perfect. The 360mm radiator demands an appropriately large case but will keep the thermals down while pushing CPU activity to its limits, so make sure you can accommodate the triple-fan setup.
While its display looks gorgeous, the CPU block is a little more subtle than some gaudy alternatives. NZXT’s CAM companion app still needs a little work to reduce some crashes that I still experience with a smaller variant Kraken AIO and rare bugs that disable the RGB and leave all-white lights until restarts, but it’s otherwise a functional range of AIOs that excels at what matters: keeping the processor temperatures under control. For gamers who just want to push their system to the limit without worrying about overheating and bag some RGB on the side, this is the way to go.
How to choose the best CPU cooler
Choosing the proper cooler for your CPU depends on a few important factors. Compatibility is the name of the game, so you’ll need to check your processor and the socket associated with it. For example, a 14th Gen Intel Core i7-14700K uses an LGA1700 socket like the 12th and 13th Gen before it. Thanks to cross-generation socket compatibility, pairing a cooler with Intel chips is a little easier, whereas AMD Ryzen processors are experiencing more of a generational shift from AM4 to AM5. Thankfully, AM4 coolers are generally identical to AM5 and often use the same brackets.
You should check the official Intel support page to identify Core desktop processors and, in the same way, the official AMD support page for Ryzen equivalents.
Once you’re confident in compatibility, performance is the next priority. If you’re building a custom gaming desktop with a power-hungry processor that draws around 120W TDP, you’ll benefit from coolers like all-in-one (AIO) variants with larger 360mm radiators and triple-fan setups. Simply put, the more power a processor uses, the hotter it’ll get. My top choice for the best AIO is the Corsair H150i Elite LCD XT specifically because it’ll handle practically anything, which is why the price can be so high. For those choosing more modest, power-conscious processors, the phenomenal Peerless Assassin 120 SE is an affordable marvel that handles thermal control without breaking the bank.
